novelCommence Battle
| ← Ch.16 | Ch.18 → |
Honestly, I was confused. Why have the already disassembled Earthen troops encircled the Solar System? Perchance, the earthlings living inhabiting other planets have returned?
...Even in that case, there's too many. Besides, there's no need to return on a battleship.
Well, there's no need to pointlessly worry about it. Straining my eyes, I directly looked towards the ends of the Solar System. There is was, a huge fleet deployed in a magnificent formation flaunting its existence.
...As expected, this is an Earthen fleet. There's no mistaking it, this fleet was created just before the Era of the Dusk.
.... Hm? Upon a closer inspection, the serial identification mark on the armour doesn't belong to the Earthen army...?
This is... surely... some data should have remained...
...Ahhh, the Planetary Federation. So they had still existed huh.
According to the records, after piling up loss after loss, they had escaped into a tiny base at the furthermost corner of the universe before all trace of them had disappeared. I had thought for sure that they had already been annihilated but it seems they're still going at it.
When I tapped in and intercepted their radio, I found that their used language was the common language used throughout the Planetary Federation. Now it's confirmed, that fleet belongs to the Planetary Federation.
But... Why on earth did they come here? Perhaps they wanted to do some sightseeing? ...However everyone on board is expelling a murderous aura and in the first place, there's no need to come sightseeing in a battleship.
Not much could be learnt from simply tapping into the normal circuits so I sharpened my ears a little more and listened into the secret lines. Resultantly, I have concluded that they have come to Earth for vengeance. They are attempting to destroy Earth with the large amounts of weapons they brought with them. I guess that shows just how much resentment had been piled up.
It's not as though I can't see where they're coming from but... this is troubling. In the first place, I was born into a time period quite a while after the Era of the Dusk. I can't do anything about their grudge from so long ago now.
But they are going ahead with their assault preparations. At this rate, Earth will surely be turned into specks of dust particles in the universe. There would have been no problems if it was only me living on this Earth but now there are these beloved new humans.
To the new humanity, this must be a devastating unpleasant surprise. To me, if my observation targets have disappeared, life would become awfully dull so I want to prevent the attack as much as I can. For that, there is a need to fight them.
Wherein lies the problem.
The big problem... that is ever since I was born "I have no experience in war"... or rather "no experience of having a conflict with another person". I've never even had a debate since I was born let alone fight.
It would be easy to brush over it as being a pacifist but it was simply that there was no need for any disputes to continue living. One could spend their lives just by staying in the house. Forget conversations, I've never once even greeted my neighbours.
For that me to fight... and to be fighting to protect something, it may be a bit difficult.
In the first place, I have zero war potential. The blueprints for the Earthen army's battleships have more or less remained but those are ancient blueprints from the past that have not once been updated after entering the Era of the Dusk.
To put it simply, those blueprints were of quite the older models. I took a brief look at them and immediately understood that they were made from terrifyingly old techniques. Weapons are predominately, to put it nicely, developed from 'stabilised technology' or rather, 'wilted technology'.
In other words, looking from the time this battleship was made, the technology involved was already stabilised and wilted. From a swift simulation, the computing abilities of this battleship can be concluded to be quite low.
Even with using a few ten thousand ships, my mental calculations would still come out top. The Planetary Federation is also using the Earthen fleet but just from the outwards appearance, there's a high chance that it's been remodelled. In other words, I might not be able to win with these normal untouched battleship fleet.
Moreover, there is another problem disregarding the war potential. The biggest question is the strategy. Exactly which of strategy should be executed? All the knowledge is in me but I've never put them to practice.
I gave it some thought but all the ideas that came to mind lacked reality.
There's no helping it, let's go with the typical one here.
For an amateur like me to think up of an intricate plan would be asking for the impossible.
Again, the most realistic plan would be to bulldoze them with overwhelming strength.
So the young girl began mass producing battleships through the artificial island's manufacturing system.
To begin with, it would be better to manufacture the battleships according to the blueprints.
I can always revise the blueprints after actually fighting with the enemies and gaining an approximate knowledge of their war potential.
As a precaution, maybe about 10 times the number of the opponent should be enough?
...I honestly don't know.
Well, there's no need to absolutely win this battle. If the federation withdraws after seeing our numbers, that would be fine too. After all, it's not as though I wish to kill them.
...But seriously... Is this ancient battleship model going to be fine? It really is doubtful but then again, I can't abandon Earth.
According to the instructions of the young girl, freshly made fleets of battleships were sent from the artificial island. While overlooking the situation, the girl let out a sigh.
As unwillingly as I am, let us begin my inept battle.
「Enemy forces spotted! Reporting enemy number!! Approximately 10 times more than our forces!!」
A voice belonging to the personnel in charge of the radar rings out from inside headquarters of the federation's largest battleship. Upon receiving the report, the strategy staff officers and commanders faces alike cramped up.
「Ugh... The Earthen army... So they still had this much power...」
「What is this! Weren't they supposed to have nothing left after holing back up in their Earth!?」
「We can't do anything now that it's come to this! We should begin our attack! 」
「Hold it! Their forces are too big! It would be better to retreat for now and reorganise our formations!!」
「Where would we have the leisure to do so! We'll be annihilated the instant we turn our backs to the enemy!! 」
The staff officers and commanders repeated their argument in almost hollering voices. The assumption made was that 'the Earthen army has weakened and therefore will not pose as a threat to the Planetary Federation'. Before them however, was a display of a potential far greater than they had gambled. This threw off the premise of their strategy. And as though a beehive was thrown in, the headquarters was in a panic.
Watching over was the commanding officer who bellowed out:
「We cannot retreat now that we have come this far!! The enemy fleet seems to be solely composed of unmodified normal ships! Gather everyone and break through!!」
Everyone froze on those words.
The enemy has yet to attack. Within the HQ, there was a shallow hope of 'retreat seems possible'. And that hope was blown away with the command just then.
Following the issued order of the commanding officer, they initiated their full-on assault against the Earthen army's fleet. In response, the Earthen fleet returns fire.
Recklessly attacking a force 10 times their own size... Most of the soldiers regretted this instant.
Ahhh, we shouldn't have come to Earth.
What our ancestors said was true.
We shouldn't have provoked the sleeping tiger...
Despite their courageous attacks they were making, almost all of the soldiers anguished over their past actions and resolved themselves for death.
...Their resolve was for nothing.
As soon as the battle commenced, battleships from the Earthen army was dissipated into dust one after another. Yet there still was no loss from the Planetary Federation. Every attack from the Earthen fleet was repelled with not a single scratch on the battleship's armour.
On the other hand was the Earthen army already on the verge of destruction. Upon receiving an attack from the Planetary Federation, the Earthen battleships sinks as easily as a balloon popping. With their slow speed, the Earthen fleet fails to perform even the simplest evasive manoeuvres. On top of that, the formation was horrid. As though an amateur was in charge, the Earthen fleet unsteadily continues.
Seeing this spectacle, the soldiers rejoiced.
「As expected!! The Earthen army was nothing to fear!!」
「This is what happens when you hole up for so long!! Take this! All of our hatred! 」
「We did it! Another one sunk! 」
「That as the one I shot! I'm a hero with this now!!」
And voices of relief leaked from the headquarters.
「Whew, I was wondering what was going to happen, not so impressive huh. 」
「It was just as we expected. The Earthen army had weakened. 」
「As one would expect of the officer in command. To instantly see through the enemy's forces. 」
「Still, did you see that formation? That was the first time I saw such a horrid formation. 」
「If you performed that fleet manoeuvre at the military academy, you'd be guaranteed an instant expulsion. 」
Finally, the strategy staff officers and commanders relaxed their tensed expressions. Announcements of victory poured in one after another from allied fleets. Every one of them was a glorious result of sinking the battleships. Discussions of celebrations were brought up from within the headquarters after receiving these reports.
「To think that it would be this simple to invade. 」
「I agree. The celebrations will definitely be grandiose. 」
「Only minimal damages on our side... Or rather, none at all. On the other hand, the Earthen army's every battleship has been sunk. For sure, this will become a noteworthy victory in history. 」
「In other words, the commanding officer's name will be marked in history. Ahh, if only I was the commander, I would become famous instantly. 」
「Hahaha, if you were the commanding officer, you may have just turn-tailed and fled you know?」
「True that! If I was the commanding officer, I would have immediately ordered a retreat! Hahaha」
They were certain of their own victory.
That conceit dulled their judgement.
And so, they wasted that valuable time; that valuable time, more important than their own precious lives.
| ← Ch. 16 | Ch. 18 → |